STRENGTHENING OF RULE OF LAW OF LATVIA IS OBJECTIVE AND FUNDAMENTAL TASK OF OUR WORK
Allocution of Ivars BICKOVICS, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
At the ceremony of handing of Marks of Distinction of System of Justice
on 19 November 2013
Greetings on the 95th birthday of the Republic of Latvia, which we celebrated yesterday, and on the 95th anniversary of Latvian system of justice!
Tonight I would like to celebrate anniversary, which is much smaller, nevertheless, it is very significant. Namely, it is the 5th anniversary of the award of the system of justice – the Mark of Distinction of the System of Justice.
Waiting for the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia and of the system of justice, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General jointly established this special highest award of the system of justice.
We may feel satisfied that 88 employees of the system of justice, inter alia, judges and court employees, have already deserved this great award with their decent work for the sake of the system of justice and the Republic of Latvia in these five years.
It is not the state, which forms people, but people create the state. When greeting our country, its development and growth, we assess concrete good works performed by concrete people and we are proud of them.
Performance of those working in court system is particularly significant within life and development of the state, as strengthening of rule of law of the Republic of Latvia is a goal and fundamental task of our work. By our work, we must increase people’s confidence in Latvia as in judicial state and strengthen awareness that to live in judicial state is a privilege, which has not been given to everyone.
In 1918, when establishing the Republic of Latvia, its vision was formulated in words “Latvia will be the state of justice”, and in historical central room of the Palace of Justice, which was given to the Senate of Latvia as a gift on the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia, motto of judiciary for achieving of this aim was written in golden letters: “One law – one justice for all”.
Today it is important to know and to remember it, not only paying compliments to founders of our state and system of justice, but also because we are the one today, who must continue work commenced by them.
I will end my greetings by quoting one of tasks of interwar Latvian Association of Judges: “To strengthen in our fellows love to motherland, joy for work and real sense of duty towards oneself and Latvia.”
Let us make it! Let the State of Latvia make it!